Palpada agrorum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Palpada agrorum, the Double-banded Plushback, is a common species of syrphid fly first officially described by Fabricius in 1787. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are aquatic filter feeders of the rat-tailed type.
external map This species is found in North and South America with the most common occurrences in the South East United States. For terms see Morphology of Diptera. external images Head The face is concealed beneath white pollen and thick pure white pile that is more abundant on the frontal triangle. The facial stripe and cheeks are shining black. The eyes are pilose and Holoptic in male. Antennae are obscurely reddish or ferruginous with a bare arista.
Thorax The scutum is black, clothed with yellowish-white pile in front, intermixed with blackish pile behind. In front of the suture is a conspicuous grayish pollinose broad band, and on each side with an oblique spot reaching from the root of the wing backward... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Double-Banded Plushback sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 698th most-seen of the 1057 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Double-Banded Plushback in Houston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Double-Banded Plushback sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Double-Banded Plushback sightings, Houston ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Miami (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Double-Banded Plushback is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
